More History

A line of bridges, constituting a passage between Brittany and Poitou.

At the beginning, the Ile de Nantes was not one island, but an archipelago of some 10 sandy, marshy islets separated by small arms of the Loire.

Around the 9th or 10th century, the north and south banks of the Loire were connected by a series of bridges, to provide access between Brittany and Poitou. Initially the bridges were simply walkways built on pilings, with dirt paths leading from one bridge to the next. They were regularly destroyed by the Loire at high water, and rebuilt quickly so as not to interrupt the flow of traffic.  It wasn't until 1565 that the bridges began being built from stone rather than wood, on the order of King Charles IX. The line of bridges spanned nearly two kilometres, as impressive feat for that period.

Ile de Nantes, a Composite Area

The islets coalesced into one island over the centuries, as the arms of the Loire were gradually filled in. However, the island remains a composite area with highly contrasting identities.
As the anchor point for the line of bridges, the central part of the island was a traditional outlying neighbourhood with public and private working class housing, much of which was quite dilapidated.

To the west, an industrial district developed starting in the 19th century, built around chemical plants and port activities, shipyards and the Alstom workshops, and later the Beghin Say sugar plant and the MIN wholesale market.

To the east, the floodable prairies were filled in and urbanized after the war. In the 1960s, a new district developed around the Beaulieu shopping centre and major public facilities such as the Regional Council Offices.
In 1970, a second line of bridges was built to serve the area.

Industrial Development on the West of the Island

In the 19th century, industrial development on the island occurred at a rapid pace. Along the line of bridges new industries sprang up, including sugar refineries, textile mills, breweries, tanneries and foundries. The growing industrialization on the north bank of the Loire led the shipbuilding activities to cluster in the west, where they remained for nearly a century. Around 1950, when shipbuilding was at its peak, the shipyards employed upwards of 8000 workers. In the 1970s, the industry was severely affected by the successive oil crises and fierce competition from Asia. In 1976, only the Dubigeon shipyards were still operating in Nantes. They closed on 1 July 1987, after the launch of the Bougainville, the last ship built in Nantes.

1989-1997, A Time for Reflection

The disappearance of the last shipyard was traumatizing for the city, and marked the end of an era. When Jean-Marc Ayrault became mayor of Nantes in 1989, the west of the island had become a brownfield. "The closure of the shipyards was a severe blow for Nantes, but the future of the city lies here."  This was the starting point of the major urban renewal project for the Ile de Nantes. During the decade it took to complete the necessary studies, the major lines of the project became clear.
Retaining the memory of the shipyards.
The new municipal team decided to preserve and rehabilitate the main shipyards building, as part of the city's industrial heritage and a tribute to the workers' movement. This was the first foundational action of the project. The Dubigeon warehouses were also preserved.
Rethinking the Island Globally.
In 1991, the City contracted architects/urban planners Dominique Perrault and François Grether to perform a study on the global future of the island as an integral part of the conurbation (1991-1994). In addition to renewing the western part of the island, the study recommended rehabilitating the entire island.
Making the Loire Central to the Project.
In 2005, the District of the Nantes Conurbation adopted the Project "Rives de Loire", or Banks of the Loire, placing the river at the centre of local planning strategy. The City of Nantes, the District and the Nantes Urban Planning Agency (AURAN) conducted a joint study to make a detailed assessment of the Island (1995-1997).

Meanwhile, at the end of the 1990s, the first signs of urban renewal were seen. In 1996, the City urged the Central Government to build the new Courthouse designed by Jean Nouvel on the Ile de Nantes. This was the first concrete act heralding the future of the island, indicating that the area was to be integrated into the city. The Schoelcher pedestrian bridge over the Loire opened in 2000, connecting the area to the historic city centre. At the same time, the former State railway station was converted into a Trade Union Centre.

1998-2003, A Time for Action

Launching the Consultation. In 1998, the City of Nantes requested designs from three multi-disciplinary teams for the Ile de Nantes urban renewal project: Bruno Fortier (Crosnier, Bloch, Clair, Hardy); Lafbac (Nicolas Michelin and Finn Geipel); Chemetoff-Berthomieu. The teams worked with associations and residents of the island for one year.
Choosing a team. In 2000, the team of architects-landscape engineers Alexandre Chemetoff/Jean-Louis Berthomieu was selected. Public space development is the cornerstone of the urban renewal plan.
Owning the project. The Nantes Urban Community was created in 2001, and became the project owner.
Starting work. The first phase of work was initiated in 2002.
Managing the project. In 2003, a public-private company was created to manage the Ile de Nantes project: SAMOA, Société d'Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique [Western Atlantic Metropolitan Redevelopment Company).

Key figures (source 2003)

    * 337 hectares
    * 15,500 inhabitants
    * 15,000 jobs
    * 250,000 daily crossings